diff --git a/fs/libfs.c b/fs/libfs.c
index 189447cf4acf..dc0f7519045f 100644
--- a/fs/libfs.c
+++ b/fs/libfs.c
@@ -549,7 +549,8 @@ void simple_recursive_removal(struct dentry *dentry,
 				dput(victim);		// unpin it
 			}
 			if (victim == dentry) {
-				inode->i_mtime = inode_set_ctime_current(inode);
+				inode_set_mtime_to_ts(inode,
+						      inode_set_ctime_current(inode));
 				if (d_is_dir(dentry))
 					drop_nlink(inode);
 				inode_unlock(inode);
@@ -590,7 +591,7 @@ static int pseudo_fs_fill_super(struct super_block *s, struct fs_context *fc)
 	 */
 	root->i_ino = 1;
 	root->i_mode = S_IFDIR | S_IRUSR | S_IWUSR;
-	root->i_atime = root->i_mtime = inode_set_ctime_current(root);
+	simple_inode_init_ts(root);
 	s->s_root = d_make_root(root);
 	if (!s->s_root)
 		return -ENOMEM;
@@ -646,8 +647,8 @@ int simple_link(struct dentry *old_dentry, struct inode *dir, struct dentry *den
 {
 	struct inode *inode = d_inode(old_dentry);
 
-	dir->i_mtime = inode_set_ctime_to_ts(dir,
-					     inode_set_ctime_current(inode));
+	inode_set_mtime_to_ts(dir,
+			      inode_set_ctime_to_ts(dir, inode_set_ctime_current(inode)));
 	inc_nlink(inode);
 	ihold(inode);
 	dget(dentry);
@@ -681,8 +682,8 @@ int simple_unlink(struct inode *dir, struct dentry *dentry)
 {
 	struct inode *inode = d_inode(dentry);
 
-	dir->i_mtime = inode_set_ctime_to_ts(dir,
-					     inode_set_ctime_current(inode));
+	inode_set_mtime_to_ts(dir,
+			      inode_set_ctime_to_ts(dir, inode_set_ctime_current(inode)));
 	drop_nlink(inode);
 	dput(dentry);
 	return 0;
@@ -717,9 +718,10 @@ void simple_rename_timestamp(struct inode *old_dir, struct dentry *old_dentry,
 {
 	struct inode *newino = d_inode(new_dentry);
 
-	old_dir->i_mtime = inode_set_ctime_current(old_dir);
+	inode_set_mtime_to_ts(old_dir, inode_set_ctime_current(old_dir));
 	if (new_dir != old_dir)
-		new_dir->i_mtime = inode_set_ctime_current(new_dir);
+		inode_set_mtime_to_ts(new_dir,
+				      inode_set_ctime_current(new_dir));
 	inode_set_ctime_current(d_inode(old_dentry));
 	if (newino)
 		inode_set_ctime_current(newino);
@@ -934,7 +936,7 @@ int simple_fill_super(struct super_block *s, unsigned long magic,
 	 */
 	inode->i_ino = 1;
 	inode->i_mode = S_IFDIR | 0755;
-	inode->i_atime = inode->i_mtime = inode_set_ctime_current(inode);
+	simple_inode_init_ts(inode);
 	inode->i_op = &simple_dir_inode_operations;
 	inode->i_fop = &simple_dir_operations;
 	set_nlink(inode, 2);
@@ -960,7 +962,7 @@ int simple_fill_super(struct super_block *s, unsigned long magic,
 			goto out;
 		}
 		inode->i_mode = S_IFREG | files->mode;
-		inode->i_atime = inode->i_mtime = inode_set_ctime_current(inode);
+		simple_inode_init_ts(inode);
 		inode->i_fop = files->ops;
 		inode->i_ino = i;
 		d_add(dentry, inode);
@@ -1528,7 +1530,7 @@ struct inode *alloc_anon_inode(struct super_block *s)
 	inode->i_uid = current_fsuid();
 	inode->i_gid = current_fsgid();
 	inode->i_flags |= S_PRIVATE;
-	inode->i_atime = inode->i_mtime = inode_set_ctime_current(inode);
+	simple_inode_init_ts(inode);
 	return inode;
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(alloc_anon_inode);
@@ -1920,3 +1922,20 @@ ssize_t direct_write_fallback(struct kiocb *iocb, struct iov_iter *iter,
 	return direct_written + buffered_written;
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(direct_write_fallback);
+
+/**
+ * simple_inode_init_ts - initialize the timestamps for a new inode
+ * @inode: inode to be initialized
+ *
+ * When a new inode is created, most filesystems set the timestamps to the
+ * current time. Add a helper to do this.
+ */
+struct timespec64 simple_inode_init_ts(struct inode *inode)
+{
+	struct timespec64 ts = inode_set_ctime_current(inode);
+
+	inode_set_atime_to_ts(inode, ts);
+	inode_set_mtime_to_ts(inode, ts);
+	return ts;
+}
+EXPORT_SYMBOL(simple_inode_init_ts);
diff --git a/include/linux/fs.h b/include/linux/fs.h
index 4a40823c3c67..d08b97dacd2d 100644
--- a/include/linux/fs.h
+++ b/include/linux/fs.h
@@ -1511,24 +1511,81 @@ static inline bool fsuidgid_has_mapping(struct super_block *sb,
 struct timespec64 current_time(struct inode *inode);
 struct timespec64 inode_set_ctime_current(struct inode *inode);
 
-/**
- * inode_get_ctime - fetch the current ctime from the inode
- * @inode: inode from which to fetch ctime
- *
- * Grab the current ctime from the inode and return it.
- */
+static inline time64_t inode_get_atime_sec(const struct inode *inode)
+{
+	return inode->i_atime.tv_sec;
+}
+
+static inline long inode_get_atime_nsec(const struct inode *inode)
+{
+	return inode->i_atime.tv_nsec;
+}
+
+static inline struct timespec64 inode_get_atime(const struct inode *inode)
+{
+	return inode->i_atime;
+}
+
+static inline struct timespec64 inode_set_atime_to_ts(struct inode *inode,
+						      struct timespec64 ts)
+{
+	inode->i_atime = ts;
+	return ts;
+}
+
+static inline struct timespec64 inode_set_atime(struct inode *inode,
+						time64_t sec, long nsec)
+{
+	struct timespec64 ts = { .tv_sec  = sec,
+				 .tv_nsec = nsec };
+	return inode_set_atime_to_ts(inode, ts);
+}
+
+static inline time64_t inode_get_mtime_sec(const struct inode *inode)
+{
+	return inode->i_mtime.tv_sec;
+}
+
+static inline long inode_get_mtime_nsec(const struct inode *inode)
+{
+	return inode->i_mtime.tv_nsec;
+}
+
+static inline struct timespec64 inode_get_mtime(const struct inode *inode)
+{
+	return inode->i_mtime;
+}
+
+static inline struct timespec64 inode_set_mtime_to_ts(struct inode *inode,
+						      struct timespec64 ts)
+{
+	inode->i_mtime = ts;
+	return ts;
+}
+
+static inline struct timespec64 inode_set_mtime(struct inode *inode,
+						time64_t sec, long nsec)
+{
+	struct timespec64 ts = { .tv_sec  = sec,
+				 .tv_nsec = nsec };
+	return inode_set_mtime_to_ts(inode, ts);
+}
+
+static inline time64_t inode_get_ctime_sec(const struct inode *inode)
+{
+	return inode->__i_ctime.tv_sec;
+}
+
+static inline long inode_get_ctime_nsec(const struct inode *inode)
+{
+	return inode->__i_ctime.tv_nsec;
+}
+
 static inline struct timespec64 inode_get_ctime(const struct inode *inode)
 {
 	return inode->__i_ctime;
 }
 
-/**
- * inode_set_ctime_to_ts - set the ctime in the inode
- * @inode: inode in which to set the ctime
- * @ts: value to set in the ctime field
- *
- * Set the ctime in @inode to @ts
- */
 static inline struct timespec64 inode_set_ctime_to_ts(struct inode *inode,
 						      struct timespec64 ts)
 {
@@ -1553,6 +1610,8 @@ static inline struct timespec64 inode_set_ctime(struct inode *inode,
 	return inode_set_ctime_to_ts(inode, ts);
 }
 
+struct timespec64 simple_inode_init_ts(struct inode *inode);
+
 /*
  * Snapshotting support.
  */